Tips of the Day

Generally, I don't talk about things like appetite suppression because if you're body is telling you that you are hungry, you should feed it.  It's saying, "HEY I'M OUT OF GAS! TIME FOR A REFILL".  You wouldn't do that to your car so you shouldn't do it to your body.  I received an email today from fitday.com which talks about natural appetite suppressors.  I will pass this on to you because while they may suppress your appetite, these are things that should be done for overall health.  Follow these tips everyday for general health and well being.

1. "Avoid Refined Carbohydrates and Simple Sugars"
This should be a no brainer.  Stay away from the pastas, cookies, cakes, etc.  The crash and ultimate fat you would add to your body is not worth it.  Now by all means, have some when you feel like it once and a while, but it should not be a staple of your diet.  This also means you should have complex carbs in your diet.  Eat fruits and veggies.  Mom didn't lie when she said they would make you strong.

2. "Drink plenty of water"
Water is what we're mostly made of, after all.  I try to drink a gallon of water a day.  Yes that is a lot of water and it does not result in as many trips to the bathroom as you think.  I am also a large person who eats large amount of protein.  The water is necessary to flush out my system.  Eight 8-ounce glasses of water is a good place to start for most people. 

3. "Eat the right amount of fat, fiber and protein"
My darling wife thinks the more fiber she gets in her diet the better.  That's great if you like spending your life on the toilet.  Fiber does make you feel full and that can be a good thing but excess anything will get expelled from the body.  As I've said before about fat, just because it has fat doesn't mean run as far away as you can.  There are some good fats and your body needs them.  Healthy fats can reduce excess body fat which is what we want gone from our body's anyway.  Finally, getting plenty of protein is important.  It is the building block of muscle.  Getting a salad will do nothing for your health because the lettuce is nutritionally empty.  Add some chicken, fish or beef on there and now we're talking.

4. "Supplement nutrients if you need to"
Take your vitamins!  A good multivitamin will help you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals that you may not get in your diet that can keep you in the best possible shape.  If you don't like swallowing horse pills, you can get the gummy bear vitamins.  They have them in all kinds so if you hate pills, get yourself some gummy vitamins and you can actually enjoy taking them.

5. Exercise
Won't exercising make you hungry?  Possibly.  Although, exercising will tech the body to use stored fat as fuel instead of whats in your stomach.

6. Eat more meals
5-6 smaller meals throughout the day is better than 3 big meals.  This will keep the body burning and speed up your metabolism ultimately burning more fat.

7. "Address the emotional hunger issue"
Don't eat because you are bored.  Don't eat because you are upset.  If you set up your diet ahead of time, you will know what is acceptable to eat and what isn't.  This can help avoid eating just because you feel like eating.

Motivation

Motivation is the hardest thing to get and then maintain.  Sure, you have all the motivation in the world when you're watching Rocky.  What about when you're sitting at your desk?  What about when you're sitting at home in front of the TV?  That's when you have to have the will power.  That's when it benefits you to surround yourself with people that share your goals. 

Maintaining that drive is something I have been struggling with lately, which is why I decided to write a small post about it.  I have my routine.  I've planned out everything.  I know what days to do which workouts.  I've planned out meals and at what time.  That's step 1.  Step 2 is following through and making adjustments when necessary.  Holiday parties, birthday's, get togethers, etc. should not deter you from your goal.  Bring that bottle of water with you when you leave the house.  Look ahead and plan out your meals if something through a wrench in your normal plans.  Keep that picture of Stallone or Arnold in your car.  Know where the finish line is and go full speed ahead!!